Frank gray



(No Model.)

F. GRAY.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTING-UISHING SYSTEM.

PatentedMay 18, 1886.

N PETERS. Pho!oLimogmpher. wnmngwn. 0.1;

'll'nirnn l drames Partnr Urraca.

FRANK GRAY, or New YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATlC FIIREMEXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

To all whom, it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, FRANK GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residingat the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Impro vements in AutomaticFirelExtinguishing Apparatus, which invention or improvements are fullydescribed and` illustrated in the following specification andaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to the dry-pipe systern for the automaticextinguishment of fire, for which Letters Patent No. 307,456 were issuedto me on the L1th day of November, 188i.

The object of this invention is to provide a trustworthy closing andquick-acting opening device for excluding and admitting theextinguishing-water from the system or' distributing-pipes by means of alow pressure of con1- pressed air, regardless of the head or varia tionin head or pressure of the extinguishing liquid.

It is also its object to provide an automatic hydraulic-motor alarm,which shall start into action upon the occurrence of a iire and continuein operation until either the extinguishing-liquid is shut ol't or saidalarm forcibly put out of operation.

It is further its object to provide a sensitive and efiicient sprinklerhead or distributer for scattering or spraying the extinguishing-liquidupon an incipient fire.

The invention consists of the parts and coni-A binations of parts, ashereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation a generalview of the complete apparatus, showing its distributingpipes andsprinkler-heads mounted under a section of the ceiling or rootl of abuilding. Fig. 2 shows in plan the automatic hydraulicmotor alarm shownin elevation in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged crosssection of thesprinkler-heads shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detached view inplan of theperforated scattering-plate, marked 5 in Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a plan of thedished couplingnut, marked 6 on Fig. 3, which forms a bottoni for thescattering-plate, marked 5 in Fig. Fig. 6 shows in verticalcross-section [enlarged one of the nipples containing fusible metal,shown at d in Fie. 1.

rnGJFlGATION forming part o. Letters Patent No. 341,902, dated May 18,1886.

Application filed August 24, 1885.

Serial No. 175,161.

(No model.)

In said figures the several parts are indicated by letters, as follows:A, the servicepipe from the water-supply; B, the waterstop valve withinsaid pipe, which pipe is continued up within the building to beprotected, to the ceiling of one ofthe floors, where it branches offunder said ceiling into the pipe C, which is reduced to a smaller pipe,c, as may be desired. From the pipes C c depend the sprinklerfheads D D,(shown iu enlarged section in Fig. 3,) hereinafter more particularlydescribed. the whole length of any building, and ofcourse located underthe ceilings of every floor in one or more lines; and said pipes may beprovided with sprinkler-heads at such intervals and in such numbersaslnay be desired. The pipe A is shown broken at a, whence it may lead toany elevation desired.. The valve B is an ordinary disk-valve, having anordinary annular seatwithin a valve-chamber, E. Said valve is providedwith a stem, F, secured to it by screw-thcreads c, rlhe vaive-stem F isprolonged upward and provided at top with a disk or wheel-handle, G, andsaid stem is guided in aframe, H, bolted to or forming part of the topor cover of the valvecliainber E. On top of said frame H is secured theaircompression chamber I, provided within it with a ilexible diaphragm,i', of rubber, mctal,or other suitable material, and under saiddiaphragm with a piston, 7L, whose rod 7a passes through guides downwardand rests on a stop on the tripping lever or arm L, iivoted at m to theframe H. To the upper or outer end of arm L is 'fixed a ball or weight,K. Pivoted also in the frame H is the pawl or dog M, forming a two-endedlever, whose shorter and lower end engages the jog or notch a turned inthe valvestem F. From the top of the air-conipression chamber I risesthe air-pipef. Said pipe follows the same general course of the pipe orpipes (lo near thereto, and is provided at suitable intervals,preferably near the sprinkler-heads D, with nipples d d, having plugs orjoints d', sealed with a solder fusible at a low temperature, similar tofusible joints likewise placed in the sprinkler-heads D. To the pipe fisconnected apressure-gage, g, and an air-compression pump, N, operatedbya connected, by a short pipe, p, a water-motor The pipes G may beprolonged.

IOO

handle, O. To the water-supply pipe A is within a easing -or box, Z,provided with an exit or exhaust pipe, p2. To the vertical spindie ofsaid motor is secured the worm q, gearing with the wormwheel r, providedwith a lug or stop, s, near its periphery. Over said gearing is suitablysecured an ordinary gong, T, supplied with a hammer, t, having a benthandle, whose shorter end is turned to lie in the path of the revolvingstop s on the wormwheel r.

Before explaining the complete operation of the parts as above detailed,the construction of the sprinkler-heads D, (shown in enlarged section inFig. 3,) and also of the nipples cl, Fig. 6, will rst be described,substituting figures for letters in designating the several parts.4

In Fig. 3, l-indieates the valvechamber or metal casting forming thesubstance of the head proper. As part of said casting, depend two siderods, 3 4,*the lower ends of which are riveted to a radially barred orperforated scattering-plate, 5. U ponr the hub of said scattering-plateis screwed the dished coupling-nut b.y Said nut has aprolonged hub, 7,bored out and containing a tubular plug, S, soldered within and to saidbore by any ofthe usual solders fusible at a low temperaturesay from160O Fahrenheit upward. Above said tubular plug, and resting thereon, isa bored valve-stem, 9, forming part of an annular valve, 10,'providedwith a renewable face, 1l, of soft metal-such as lead or other softmetal. Above said valve the stem is turned into a guide-head, '12, whichIitsneatly within the bore of the casting 1. The soft-metal valve-face11 makes a close fit upon v the valve- 'seat bored in the bottom of thecasting 1, as

` 4clearly shown in Fig. 3. rEhe bore of the valve-stem 9 iscounterbored for some distance `up from its bottom, which counterbore istted with a spiralspring, 13, whose base restsupon the tubular plug 8.Above said spring the valve-stem is perforated by .holes 14, which openthrough said stem into the surrounding atmosphere. It can now be readilyseen that lif'the solder melts which holds the plug S within the hub `7ofthe nut 6 thecompressed spring 13 will force said plug ont of'saidhub, when the valve 10, with its stem 9, will immediately fall and opent-he interior of the 'sprinkler-head-for the exit of any water that"maybe within it orthe pipes, to which it is 'secured by the threads 15.The spring 13 will of course 'fall out disconnected; but the valve willrest within the base of the device upon either the scattering-plate 5 orthe couplingnut 6, forming its base.

In'Fig. 6 are shown the nipples d, provided with -fusible meta-l plugsor -joints d', which will melt like the solder between the tubular-plugs 8 in the hub'7, Fig. 3. Said joints are` all intended to fuseupon the breaking out of va re near enough thereto to raise the tem-vfperature of the surrounding air-to the meltis very simple, and is asfollows: The water-stop valve B being seated, as seen in- Fig. 1, andthe point of the dog M thrown into the notch or jog Vn in the valve-stemF, the valve may be conveniently securely closed by turning the handle Gfrom left to right, which action presses the valve tight in its seat,for the threads e, being shown left-handed, will cause the valve-stem Fto tend to screw out of the valve B; but the rise of said stem beingopposed bythe dog M, the effect of so turning the handle G is to pressthe valve B tighter toits seat the more said handle is 8o turned to theright-that is, apparently downward, but in reality upward. Of courseright-handed threads may be used, if desired, instead of the left-handedthreads e,

in which case the handle G would be turned from right to left-the otherparts remaining the same-in order to jam the valve B tight up to itsseat. The valve B being secured to 'its seat, the air-pump N is operatedby its handle O and air pumped into the chamber I through the smallair-pipe f until the pressure gage g indicates a sufficient pressure todepress the diaphragm i within said chamber. The depression ordistention of said diaphragm transfers the whole downward pressure ofthe air so compressed@ n the isto h, whose rod or stem 7c is thus$319111anently/settl;h` as a fixed point below suitable guides under thechamber I. The stem la is thus made to take the weight and leverage ofthe ball K, and forcibly holds the lever L depressed by forming a stopat the pointk upon an offset or jog in said lever. The weight K is thusheld velevated and the lever L depressed so long as the piston-rod 7c isdepressed. The parts above described are thus held in their respectivepositions shown in Fig. 1, and in said positions the apparatus isproperly set for automatic operation should a ire occur. The pipe f isprovided with the nipples d, as before eX- plained, and the solder iusaid nipples prevents the air compressed in said pipe from escapinguntil saidsolder is melted.

The apparatus being thus set for action upon the breaking out of aiire,its automatic operation for the extinguishment of the fire is asfollows: The temperature of the air surrounding any one or more of thenipples drising tothe melting point of the solder d', said solder melts,when the compressed air within the chamber I will escape out of saidnipple or nipples. Immediately upon such occurrence the weight of theball K forces up the pistonrod k, and as the ball falls under the effectof gravitation the end or toe of the'leverLrises, 125 strikes the dog Mand trips its toe out ofthe IOO LIO

'jog n in the valve-stem F. 'Ihe'water-stop valve B is thus deprived ofthe holding or locking action of the dog M, and by the upward pressureof the head of water within the-pipe 13o A below the valve said valve isopened and the extinguishing-water rushes up the pipeA into the pipes Cc, and is sprayed upon the re from any one or more of thesprinkler-heads D,

the solder in which will have melted at about the time of the melting ofthe solder in the nipples d. As soon as the water rushes up the pipe Ait also escapes through the pipe p into the watermotor Z, and sets itsgong rI in operation by the revolution of the worm-gearing q r, the stops on the worm-wheelv 1' tapping the handle of the gonghammer t at everyrevolution of said wheel. Thestriking of the gong is thus renderedcontinuous and rapid either until it is disconnected or until theextinguishing-water ceases to flow into the pipe A. Not only, therefore,does the apparatus, when once in action, continue the operation ofextinguishing the fire, but it continues sounding an alarm untilattention has been called to the fire, and until the alarm attachmenthas been put out of operation by those whom it has aroused. I donot,however, herein claim such an alarm attachment to be new.

Having thus fully described .my said improvenients as of my invention, Iclaim- 1. In a dry-pipe system for the automatic extingnishment of fire,the combination of the following-named elements, namely: anaircompression pipe, asf, provided with orifices i sealed with solder,an air-compression chamber, as I, connected therewith and provided witha resilient diaphragm, and arod or stem,

as K, engaging and supporting a Weighted lever, as L,wlien saiddiaphragm is subjected to air-pressure in said chamber, a holding-dog,as M, and a water-stop valve, as B, held to its seat by said dog andconnected to the extin- 3. An automatic sprinkler-head for aiireextinguishing apparatus,provided with a tubular valve-stem bored andperforated, as described, in combination with a coiled spring withinsaid tube and a hollow plug or tube secured by solder,fusible at a lowtemperature, to a dished coupling-nut screwed to the base of the device,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In an automatic sprinkler-head for a iirev extinguishing apparatus,the combination (f a fixed annular scattering-plate, as 5, and a dishedcoupling-nut, as 6, screwed thereon, forming abottom thereto,andprovided wi th a tubular plug, as 8, secured within the hub of said nutby a soldered joint fusible at a low temperature, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

FRANK GRAY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. MCKNIG'HT, Jamas F. ,MCELMELL

